U.S. patent application number 10/086523 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-03 for lens device.
Invention is credited to Sasaki, Ryuta.
Application Number | 20020141752 10/086523 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18919710 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020141752 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sasaki, Ryuta |
October 3, 2002 |
Lens device
Abstract
The lens device is capable of preventing a guide member from
being disengaged from a guide groove with a simple construction, in
which a projecting thread portion is formed on a sidewall of the
guide groove for guiding a lens barrel in a straight motion and a
recessed thread portion to be engaged with the projecting thread
portion is formed on a sidewall of the guide member that is guided
by the guide groove. A straight guide groove along the optical axis
is formed on an inner peripheral surface of a first lens barrel,
and a straight guide projection that is guided by the straight
guide groove is formed on a second lens barrel. On a sidewall of
the straight guide groove, a projecting thread portion is formed
and on a sidewall of the straight guide projection, a recessed
thread portion to be engaged with the projecting thread portion is
formed.
Inventors: |
Sasaki, Ryuta; (Saitama-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Family ID: |
18919710 |
Appl. No.: |
10/086523 |
Filed: |
March 4, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
396/349 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 17/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
396/349 |
International
Class: |
G03B 017/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 5, 2001 |
JP |
2001-60265 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A lens device, comprising: a lens holding member that holds a
lens, a guide groove parallel to an optical axis being formed on a
peripheral surface of the lens holding member; and a guide member
engaged with the guide groove of the lens holding member, the guide
member movably guiding the lens holding member along the optical
axis, wherein a projecting thread portion is formed on a sidewall
of the guide groove along the direction of the optical axis, and a
recessed thread portion to be engaged with the projecting thread
portion of the guide groove is formed on the guide member.
2. The lens device according to claim 1, wherein a tip side portion
and a base side portion of the guide member which are oppositely
placed with respect to the recessed thread portion of the guide
member are formed to have the same widths.
3. A lens device, comprising: a lens holding member that holds a
lens, a guide groove parallel to an optical axis being formed on a
peripheral surface of the lens holding member; and a guide member
engaged with the guide groove of the lens holding member, the guide
member movably guiding the lens holding member along the optical
axis, wherein a recessed thread portion is formed on a sidewall of
the guide groove along the direction of the optical axis, and a
projecting thread portion to be engaged with the recessed thread
portion of the guide groove is formed on the guide member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a lens device, and in
particular relates to a lens device used for a collapsible camera
having a zoom function.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A cam mechanism is known as a device which moves a lens
holding member for holding a moving lens in a zoom lens device
along an optical axis. The cam mechanism is composed of a cam
follower projecting and provided on an outer peripheral surface of
the lens holding member, a cam groove formed on an inner peripheral
surface of a cam barrel to be engaged with the cam follower, and a
straight guide for stopping the rotation of the lens holding member
and guiding the lens holding member in moving straight. The lens
moves straight along the optical axis by a displacement in the cam
groove along the optical axis by rotation of the cam barrel.
[0005] There are various mechanisms for the straight guide for
guiding the lens holding member in straight motion, including a
mechanism with a construction for guiding a lens holding member by
engaging a cam follower with a guide groove formed on the inner
peripheral surface of a fixed barrel, and a mechanism with a
construction for guiding a lens holding member by engaging a slider
formed on the lens holding member with a guide bar disposed along
the optical axis.
[0006] The present inventor has proposed a construction in Japanese
Patent Application Publication No. 2001-100083 published on Apr.
13, 2001, in which an arm is provided on a tip of a rear lens group
holding member, and a projection formed on the tip of the arm is
engaged with a straight guide groove formed on the inner peripheral
surface of a front lens group holding member to be guided.
[0007] However, with the above-described construction, because the
straight guide groove is provided on the front lens group holding
member, if a pressing impact is applied to the front lens group
holding member when, for example, the camera drops, a twisting
force is applied to the arm and straight guide groove by the cam,
thus causing a possibility that the projection disengages from the
straight guide groove. In particular, in recent years, there are
requests for more compact lens devices, and therefore, the lens
holding member with less wall thickness is used for constituting
the lens device. This limits the depth of the groove, and there has
been a possibility of disengagement of the projection from the
groove even on a small impact.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention has been developed in view of the
above-described circumstances, and its object is to provide a lens
device with a simple configuration that is able to prevent a guide
member from being disengaged from a guide groove for guiding a lens
holding member in moving straight.
[0009] In order to achieve the above-described object, the present
invention is directed to a lens device, comprising: a lens holding
member that holds a lens, a guide groove parallel to an optical
axis being formed on a peripheral surface of the lens holding
member; and a guide member engaged with the guide groove of the
lens holding member, the guide member movably guiding the lens
holding member along the optical axis, wherein a projecting thread
portion is formed on a sidewall of the guide groove along the
direction of the optical axis, and a recessed thread portion to be
engaged with the projecting thread portion of the guide groove is
formed on the guide member.
[0010] The present invention is also directed to a lens device,
comprising: a lens holding member that holds a lens, a guide groove
parallel to an optical axis being formed on a peripheral surface of
the lens holding member; and a guide member engaged with the guide
groove of the lens holding member, the guide member movably guiding
the lens holding member along the optical axis, wherein a recessed
thread portion is formed on a sidewall of the guide groove along
the direction of the optical axis, and a projecting thread portion
to be engaged with the recessed thread portion of the guide groove
is formed on the guide member.
[0011] According to the present invention, the projecting thread
portion or the recessed thread portion provided on the guide groove
is engaged with the recessed thread portion or the projecting
thread portion provided on the guide member; therefore, even if a
twisting force is applied to the guide member and the guide groove,
the guide member is not disengaged from the guide groove.
[0012] Preferably, a tip side portion and a base side portion of
the guide member which are oppositely placed with respect to the
recessed thread portion of the guide member are formed to have the
same widths. Hence, strength of the guide member is not reduced
even if the recessed thread portion is formed on the guide
member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The nature of this invention, as well as other objects and
advantages thereof, will be explained in the following with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference
characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the
figures and wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic still
camera to which a lens device according to the present invention is
applied;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the lens device
according to the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a first lens barrel
and a second lens barrel taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a straight guide
projection and a straight guide groove shown in FIG. 3;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing projecting thread
portions and recessed thread portions differently shaped from those
shown in FIG. 4; and
[0019] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a straight guide
projection and a straight guide groove having a different
construction from those shown in FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Hereinunder preferred embodiments will be described in
detail for a structure of a lens device according to the present
invention in accordance with the accompanying drawings.
[0021] FIG. 1 is an external view of an electronic still camera 1
to which a lens device according to the present invention is
applied, a main body 1A of the electronic still camera 1 being
formed into a rectangular box shape. A lens device 2, a finder
window 3, a flash adjustment sensor 4 and a self-timer lamp 5 are
provided in predetermined positions on the front face of the main
body 1A. A pop-up flash 6 and a release switch 7 are provided on
the top face of the main body 1A, and an eyepiece of the finder, a
liquid crystal display panel, an operation key and the like which
are not shown in the figure are provided in respective
predetermined positions on the back face of the main body 1A. The
lens device 2 is of a collapsible/extensible type, and a first lens
barrel (the lens holding member) 18 and a shift barrel 22 are
extended forward (in the direction of a subject) from the front
face of the main body 1A only when in use.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the lens device 2 is mainly composed of
a first lens 12, a second lens 14, a third lens 16, the first lens
barrel 18, a second lens barrel 20, the shift barrel 22, a fixed
barrel 24, a rotation barrel 26 and an aperture-setting shutter
unit 28. On the outer periphery of the rotation barrel 26, a gear
portion 26a is formed, to which the drive of a zoom motor (not
shown in the figure) is transferred. The rotation barrel 26 is
rotated in contact with the outer periphery of the fixed barrel 24
by transferring the drive from the zoom motor.
[0023] The state of the lens device 2 is changed from a collapsed
position to a telescopic position by rotation of the rotation
barrel 26 in "storage rotation area" between the "initial position"
and the "middle position". It is further changed from the
telescopic position to a wide position by rotation of the rotation
barrel 26 in the "scaling rotation area" between the "middle
position" and the "termination position".
[0024] On the inner peripheral surface of the rotation barrel 26, a
second lens cam 26b for moving the second lens barrel 20 in the
direction of an optical axis 30 and a shift-barrel straight guide
groove 26c for guiding the shift barrel 22 in the direction of the
optical axis 30 are formed. The shift-barrel straight guide groove
26c acts for providing rotational drive of the rotation barrel 26
for the shift barrel 22 and allowing the shift barrel 22 to move
forward and backward in the direction of the optical axis 30.
[0025] On the fixed barrel 24, a second lens straight guide opening
24a for guiding straight the second lens barrel 20 in the direction
of the optical axis 30 and a shift barrel cam 24b for moving the
shift barrel 22 along the optical axis 30 are formed.
[0026] On the outer peripheral surface of the shift barrel 22,
shift barrel cam followers 32 are provided. The shift barrel cam
followers 32 engage with the shift barrel cam 24b and the
shift-barrel straight guide groove 26c. The shift barrel 22 moves
along the optical axis 30 with respect to the fixed barrel 24 while
rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation barrel
26. On the inner peripheral surface of the shift barrel 22, first
lens cams 22a are provided. The shift barrel cam 24b, shift-barrel
straight guide groove 26c and shift barrel cam followers 32 are
provided in each of three-way split positions around the optical
axis 30.
[0027] The first lens 12 is held inside the first lens barrel 18.
Straight guide grooves 34 are provided on the inner peripheral
surface of the first lens barrel 18 and first lens cam followers 36
that engage with the first lens cams 22a are provided on the outer
peripheral surface of the first lens barrel 18. By action of
straight guide by the second lens barrel 20 and action of the first
lens cams 22a on the shift barrel 22, both caused by the rotation
of the shift barrel 22, the first lens barrel 18 moves straight in
the direction of the optical axis 30 with respect to the shift
barrel 22. The first lens cam followers 36 and first lens cams 22a
are provided in each of three-way split positions around the
optical axis 30.
[0028] The second lens 14 is held inside the second lens barrel 20.
On the outer peripheral surface of the second lens barrel 20, a
second lens cam follower 38 is provided. The second lens cam
follower 38 engages with the second lens cam 26b and the second
lens straight guide opening 24a. The second lens barrel 20 moves
straight in the direction of the optical axis 30 with respect to
the fixed barrel 24 by rotation of the rotation barrel 26. The
second lens cam follower 38, the second lens cam 26b and the second
lens straight guide opening 24a are provided in each of three-way
split positions around the optical axis 30.
[0029] The third lens 16 is held by a third lens frame 40. The
third lens frame 40 is supported by the second lens barrel 20 via a
lead screw 42 and a guide bar 44 so as to be movable in the
direction of the optical axis 30. The third lens frame 40 is moved
in the direction of the optical axis 30 in accordance with the lead
by the lead screw 42 rotating by the drive of a focus motor 46.
Reference character 10a indicates an imaging surface of the lens
device 2.
[0030] At the front end of the second lens barrel 20, arm portions
50, 50 are provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the arm portions 50, 50
are provided in two different positions, respectively, of the outer
periphery of the second lens barrel 20. Each arm portion 50 is
formed in a shape extending toward the subject from the front end
of the second lens barrel 20 with a narrow width, the subject-side
tip of the arm portion heading outward in the diameter direction of
the barrel 20.
[0031] On the outer peripheral surface side of the tip of each arm
portion 50, a straight guide projection (the guide member) 52 is
provided. The straight guide projections 52, the arm portions 50
and the second lens barrel 20 are formed integrally by molding a
material with elasticity such as plastic material. The straight
guide grooves 34, the arm portions 50 and the straight guide
projections 52 may be provided in each of three-way split positions
around the optical axis 30.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, both sidewalls 52a, 52a of the straight
guide projection 52 are in contact with sidewalls 34a, 34a of the
straight guide groove 34. Consequently, rotation of the straight
guide projections 52 around the optical axis 30 in FIG. 3 is
restricted. In other words, relative movement of the first lens
barrel 18 with respect to the second lens barrel 20 around the
optical axis 30 is restricted.
[0033] An outer peripheral surface 52b of the straight guide
projection 52 shown in FIG. 4 is biased outward in the diameter
direction by an elastic force of the arm portion 50 and made in
contact with a bottom surface 34b of the straight guide groove 34.
Consequently, the outer peripheral surface 52b of the straight
guide projection 52 presses the bottom surface 34b of the straight
guide groove 34, and therefore, the first lens barrel 18 and the
second lens barrel 20 shown in FIG. 2 are supported so that optical
axes of the first and second lenses are not inclined to each
other.
[0034] Since the first lens barrel 18 and the second lens barrel 20
move so as to vary the spacing therebetween, the outer peripheral
surface 52b of the straight guide projection 52 slides over the
bottom surface 34b of the straight guide groove 34. Accordingly, if
sliding parts are made in face-to-face contact with each other, a
load is applied to the relative movement of the first lens barrel
18 and the second lens barrel 20 along the optical axis 30 and the
rotation of the rotation barrel 26, thus causing a possibility of a
scaling speed reduction. For reducing a sliding resistance, a
cross-section of the outer peripheral surface 52c of the straight
guide projection 52 along the optical axis 30 is formed in an arc
shape, and a cross-section thereof in a direction orthogonal to the
optical axis 30 is formed in an arc shape, that is, the outer
peripheral surface 52c is formed spherically.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, recessed thread portions 52c, 52c are
formed on the sidewalls 52a, 52a of the straight guide projection
52 in the direction of the optical axis 30 (see FIG. 2). The
recessed thread portion 52c is provided in an approximate middle
position of the sidewall 52a. In both sides of the straight guide
protrusion 52 with respect to the recessed thread portion 52c, the
outer peripheral surface 52b side (the tip side) with a width of W1
and the inner peripheral surface side 52e (the base side) with a
width of W2 are respectively formed so that W1 and W2 are the same.
The recessed thread portion 52c is formed so that the cross-section
thereof has a triangular shape, and has a recessed surface 52d that
is inclined .theta..degree. to the sidewall 52a. The angle .theta.
of a projecting surface 34d and the recessed surface 52d is set to
substantially 10.degree. to substantially 40.degree., preferably
30.degree..
[0036] For the straight guide groove 34, projecting thread portions
34c, 34c are formed projecting from the sidewalls 34a, 34a, the
projecting thread portions 34c, 34c being engaged with the recessed
thread portions 52c of the straight guide projection 52. The
projecting thread portions 34c are provided in the opening of the
straight guide groove 34, along the optical axis 30 (see FIG. 2).
The projecting thread portion 34c is formed so that the
cross-section thereof has a triangular shape, and has the
projecting surface 34d that is inclined .theta..degree. to the
sidewall 34a.
[0037] If a twisting force generated, for example, when the lens
device 2 drops, is applied to the straight guide projections 52 and
the straight guide grooves 34 in the configuration described above,
the recessed surface 52d of the straight guide projection 52 and
the projecting surface 34d of the straight guide groove 34 are made
in contact with each other, and, therefore, the straight guide
projection 52 is not disengaged from the straight guide groove 34.
Accordingly, the lens device 2 is not damaged even if it drops.
[0038] Moreover, since the projecting surface 34d and the recessed
surface 52d are made in face-to-face-contact with each other, the
twisting force applied to the straight guide projection 52 and the
straight guide groove 34 does not concentrated on a single point,
thereby preventing the straight guide projection 52 and the
straight guide groove 34 from being deformed or damaged.
[0039] Since in the straight guide protrusion 52, the width W2 for
the inner peripheral surface 52e and the width W1 for the outer
peripheral surface 52b are the same, the straight guide projection
52 has high strength, and, therefore, it is not damaged. In
addition, because the straight guide projection 52 is connected to
the arm portion 50 through a wide area, the connecting part of the
arm portion 50 and the straight guide projection 52 has high
strength, thus preventing the connecting part from being deformed
or damaged.
[0040] The shape of the recessed thread portion 52c of the straight
guide projection 52 or that of the projecting thread portion 34c of
the straight guide groove 34 are not limited to the above-described
embodiment. They may also be formed as shown in FIG. 5. On a
straight guide projection 54 shown in the figure, recessed thread
portions 55 with a half-round cross-section are formed, and on a
straight guide groove 56, projecting thread portions 57 with a
half-round cross-section are formed. The projecting thread portions
57 engage with the recessed thread portions 55, thus preventing the
straight guide projection 54 from being disengaged from the
straight guide groove 56.
[0041] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, it may be possible to form
projecting thread portions 59 on a straight guide projection 58 and
to form recessed thread portions 61 on a straight guide groove 60.
In this case, the projecting thread portions 59 also engage with
the recessed thread portions 61, thus preventing the straight guide
projection 58 from being disengaged from the straight guide groove
60.
[0042] As described so far, in the lens device according to the
present invention, a guide groove is provided with projecting
thread portions or recessed thread portions and a guide member is
provided with recessed thread portions or projecting thread
portions, and the projecting thread portions and the recessed
thread portions are engaged with each other, and, therefore, the
guide member is not disengaged from the guide groove even if a
twisting force is applied to them.
[0043] It should be understood, however, that there is no intention
to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the
contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternate
constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope
of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.
* * * * *